John Gill Commentary Joshua 11:4

"And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea-shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many." — Joshua 11:4 (ASV)

And they went out
The several kings and people sent to; these went out from the places they inhabited:

they and all their hosts with them ;
the kings of those several places, with their armies:

much people, even as the sand that [is] upon the seashore in multitude ;
a proverbial expression, to denote an exceeding great number:

with horses and chariots very many ;
being supplied with horses from Egypt, and their chariots were chariots of iron; see (Judges 4:3) ; Josephus ^F26 gives us the number of this great army, and says it consisted of three hundred thousand footmen, ten thousand horse, and thirty thousand chariots; some copies read only twenty thousand; and these chariots were armed with iron hooks or scythes, to cut down men as they drove along, and so were very terrible.

---

FOOTNOTES:

• F26: Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 18.